GSkill Ripjaws IV 3000MHz DDR4 Memory

Our first look at DDR4 Memory!

DDR3 RAM has been the standard in computing for many years now. It first started hitting the shelves in 2007, and although prices were a little high to really justify upgrading from DDR2 back then, as soon as production fully engaged and DDR2 started to disappear, the prices of DDR3 fell rapidly which was great news for consumers. Even though the interface of DDR3 RAM has been the same for seven years or so, the technology and specifications has actually changed quite a bit. We first started only really seeing 1333MHz and 1600MHz kits on the DDR3 interface as that's pretty much all the older memory controllers in motherboards and processors could handle. But, as the IMC technology improved, so did the memory speeds, and recently we've become used to seeing 2400MHz kits in high end systems and certain companies are even producing memory with speeds of up to 3000MHz, although the high cost here again doesn't really justify the marginally higher performance.

Recently this year, we've heard a number of rumours regarding DDR4 memory, and we do think it is about time for the new interface. We've got our hands on some GSkill Ripjaws IV 3000MHz 16GB DDR4 memory and we're able to give you a very quick first look, along with some ideas about what to expect over the coming months and years with DDR4.

Conclusion

In terms of aesthetics, there isn't really much to say in terms of differences between this and its DDR3 counterpart. The Ripjaws use a very similar designed heatsink to the older RipjawsZ DDR3 kit. It's small enough to fit under the majority of processor heatsinks and from the top looks just as you'd expect high end RAM to look.

The Ripjaws IV is only 1.35v so temperatures should be lower than the high end DDR3 kits of this speed which were mostly pushing 1.65v. This also should mean there's less strain on memory controllers in the processors for DDR4 systems.

With higher speeds, we're used to expecting higher timings. The Ripjaws have timings of 15-15-15-35. This is a little higher than we've come to expect with memory kits on the DDR3 interface, but since this is new technology, we're confident that future iterations will be able to get the timings down a little.

As previously mentioned, the Ripjaws IV is 3000MHz and if this is the base speed for DDR4, we're expecting some big numbers in the future. Again, DDR3 started on just 1333MHz and finished at 3000MHz so only time will tell if DDR4 can head in the same direction.

The Ripjaws IV was actually the RAM that Asus ROG have used in developing the Rampage V Extreme on the X99 platform which has been rumoured to be released around the end of this month.

As far as pricing goes, this 16GB kit comes in at £380 @ OCUK, and while we understand you may think that's high, the 3000MHz kits of DDR3 are around £320 for just 8GB. However, since DDR4 is to be a whole new standard, we're confident all these prices will fall considerably when there's more competition in the market, and when X99 has been fully released.

Thanks to GSkill for providing the Ripjaws IV. You can discuss your thoughts on the OC3D Forums.

Register for the OC3D Newsletter

Subscribing to the OC3D newsletter will keep you up-to-date
on the latest technology reviews, competitions and goings-on at Overclock3D.
We won't share your email address with ANYONE, and we will only email you with updates on site news, reviews, and competitions and you can unsubscribe easily at any time.

Simply enter your name and email address into the box below and be sure to click on the links in the
confirmation emails that will arrive in your e-mail shortly after to complete the registration.